Christians and the election

Submit yourselves for the Lord's sake to every authority instituted among men: whether to the king, as the supreme authority, or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right.  For it is God's will that, by doing good, you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish men.  Live as free men, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as servants of God.  Show proper respect to everyone: Love the brotherhood of believers, fear God, honor the king (1 Peter 2:13-17).

Election Day is just around the corner.  By now, you’re probably sick of all the campaign advertising—signs along the street, phone calls while you’re eating, endless commercials on TV and the radio.  And the commercials are so negative—instead of laying out their credentials and accomplishments, most candidates devote their time to running down the opposition. 

Our political system is terribly polarized.  The political parties would rather point fingers at each other than work together.  They want you to be afraid—afraid that if you vote for the wrong person, our future will go down in flames.  But this fear mongering only hurts the process; many people become so discouraged that they don’t end up voting for anybody; they just try to ignore what happens in government.

My friends, we have an obligation to vote.  We have an obligation to vote wisely.  In the Bible, God tells us to obey the government.  Paul writes, Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established (Romans 13:1).  But what if that government is corrupt?  What if the government is run by people who do not love or respect the King of the Universe?  Paul goes on to say, The authorities that exist have been established by God.  Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves.  Jesus submitted to the authority of Pontius Pilate, even though Pilate was a godless, evil man. Pilate said, "Don't you realize I have power either to free you or to crucify you?" Jesus answered, "You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above" (John 19:10-11).

God wants us to respect corrupt government?  Think of it this way.  God expects us to honor the holy estate of marriage.  There are a lot of terrible husbands and wives; there are a lot of marriages that are dysfunctional and wind up in divorce court.  Yet in spite of this, we don’t sneer at marriage as if it is something worthless.  The union of husband and wife is a gift from God, even when we spoil it with our bad behavior.  So it is with government.  The Lord gives us government to make life better, even though we often subvert its God-given purpose.  God demands that we respect the government, even when it is flawed. 

God expects us to obey the law and respect our lawmakers.  Civil disobedience is only permitted when human law tells us to break God’s Law.  This happened to Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in Babylon; when the king ordered them to kneel and worship his statue, they said we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up (Daniel 3:18).  It happened to the apostles in Jerusalem; when they were ordered to stop preaching about Jesus, Peter replied we must obey God rather than men!  (Acts 5:29)  It happened to the early Christians living in the Roman Empire; when the emperor demanded that they pray to him as a god, they refused.  It happened to Martin Luther in Germany; when the king told him to admit that his teachings were wrong, Luther replied "Unless I shall be convinced by the testimonies of the Scriptures or by clear reason ... I neither can nor will make any retraction…Here I stand. I cannot do otherwise.  God help me!  Amen.”

Although there are times when we must oppose the government, doing so comes with great danger.  Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were thrown into a fiery furnace.  The apostles were repeatedly jailed, beaten, and eventually executed.  Early Christians were convicted as traitors to the Roman Empire.  Luther was branded an outlaw and lived for many years in hiding. 

But conflict between Christians and their government does not have to happen here in America.  God has placed us in a country where we can influence what happens in Washington.  We can choose who serves in public office.  We can change our laws through referendums and initiated measures.  We can shape our government into one that serves the Lord.

This kind of shaping requires that we do some work.  We need to familiarize ourselves with the candidates.  What issues are important to them?  What positions are they willing to negotiate on?  Do they keep their promises?  Do they take responsibility for their actions, or are they quick to point the finger of blame at someone else? 

As a Christian, how do you choose the best candidate?  Let’s use the race for the White House as an example.  One candidate is black, the other is white. But that should make no difference--prejudice has no place in the heart of a Christian.  Both are faithful husbands and devoted fathers.  Both men care deeply about the future of America, even if they don't agree on how that future is best served.

A good candidate should be able to inspire confidence.  A good candidate should be free from the taint of scandal.  A good candidate should make decisions that uphold the law, yet works hard to change laws that need to be overhauled.  A good candidate should work with allies and opponents to find common ground, but never compromise when it comes down to a choice between God’s law and human law.  A good candidate should stay calm during a crisis and avoid impulsive decisions.

Of course, no candidate is perfect.  Like us, they are sinners who misunderstand God’s will and let Satan influence many of their decisions.  Paul writes, there is no difference, for all have sinned (Romans 3:22).  Politicians often give in to temptation; they abuse their office for personal satisfaction.  We behave the same way; we steal things or dabble with extra-marital sex if it seems like we can get away with it.  Politicians need votes, so they turn a blind eye to many immoral things around them.  We behave the same way; we put up with all sorts of bad behavior so that we can be popular with others.  Politicians break campaign promises in order to make deals.  We behave the same way; we make promises that we can’t keep or don’t intend to keep.  Politicians play fast and loose with the truth; sometimes they lie, other times they twist the truth so much that you can hardly recognize it.  We behave the same way; we tell lies to escape responsibility for our actions, we spin the truth to make ourselves look good. 

This is why Jesus came into our world.  Jesus does not abuse His authority; He said the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many (Matthew 20:28).  Jesus does not ignore our sins, He confronts us and demands that we take responsibility for our actions.  John writes, If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.  If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:8-9).  Jesus never goes back on His word; you can count on His promises to help you through life.  Peter writes, he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires (2 Peter 1:4).  And Jesus never lies; He said everyone on the side of truth listens to me (John 18:37).  We are not perfect; no candidate for office is perfect.  But thanks to Jesus, we are forgiven our mistakes and have the promise of help to do God’s will.

We also need to study the issues.  Don’t wait until Election Day to read complicated ballot measures.  The Secretary of State publishes explanations that are available at the courthouse.  You can read different opinions about them in newspapers and on the Internet.  Decide how you’re going to vote before going to your polling place.

As a Christian, how do you decide which measures deserve your support and which should be defeated?  Look to the Word of God!  Does the measure hold people accountable for their actions, or does it contain loopholes?  Does the measure encourage respect for everyone, or does it benefit some at the expense of others?  Does the measure make it easier to proclaim God’s Word to people who are dying in sin, or does it restrict Gospel outreach?  Does the measure honor God’s gift of life, or does it sanction death?  Is the measure concerned with what is best, or with what is easiest?

Don’t let fear keep you away from the polls.  No matter how the voting goes, we will have an imperfect government that is staffed with imperfect men and women.  But the future is not in their hands—the future is in God’s hands!  That is why you don’t have to be afraid. God has said, "I will never leave you; I will never turn my back on you." So we can say with confidence, "The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid" (Hebrews 13:5-6).  Jesus said, In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world (John 16:33).  Paul writes, we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him (Romans 8:28).  Pray and cast your vote, then go home with confidence that everything is in God’s loving and mighty hands.

On Election Day, you have an obligation.  Vote to align human laws with God’s laws.  Vote to give a better tomorrow to your children.  Vote for the sake of unbelievers who need to experience the Word of God in their lives.  Use your vote to honor the King of the Universe here in the Land of the Free.